Ranch Reflections are articles written by LRHS students and staff who want to share their experiences, thoughts, and concerns. This is a great opportunity for Mustangs to branch out beyond traditional news stories. In this edition an LRHS junior draws memories from her Spotify "Wrapped."
Gabby Zevallos- Mustangs Ahead
(LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL - Every December, Spotify Wrapped is released to uncover your music history of the year.
This is an annual tradition of Spotify, curating short clips of everyone’s listening habits. It allows me to reflect on my moods, memories, and, best of all, what carried me through the year.
According to Spotify, Wrapped is “our annual thank you to users, artists, creators and authors around the world. Each year, Wrapped celebrates the music, podcasts and audiobooks that soundtracked the world around us.
“This annual moment includes an interactive experience that reflects your personalized music journey throughout the year. Alongside this experience, we provide you with editorial, personalized playlists as well as global top lists that celebrate how hundreds of millions of fans worldwide listened throughout the year.”
As I viewed my own data, it felt so personal to have an app summarize a year of emotions in just a few minutes. It is not only about the music but who I was when I played each playlist.
I'm not the only one that feels this connection, Lakewood Ranch junior Katerina Nino Demino, described her anticipation for the tradition, “I look forward to seeing how my music changes throughout the year.”
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For her, Spotify Wrapped acts almost as a timeline that shows any shifts in moods, school stress, and even friendships, all seen in the songs she played the most. The way she spoke about it made it seem like her music is a journal for her but one she doesn't even have to write in.
Another Mustang, LRHS junior Roman Haught, says his excitement peaks at the last part of Spotify Wrapped. He stated, “When Spotify Wrapped comes out at the end of the year, I’m always the most excited to see who my top artist was.”
The last slide in each wrap reveals the listener’s top artist. That summarizes the entire year and feels like uncovering a secret you already knew but needed confirmed.
Listening to other students made me think about how music shapes our daily routines. While doing homework, driving to school, or getting ready, these choices become a snapshot of our lives.
Spotify Wrapped may just be a digital summary, but for many of us, it’s also a reminder of how we grew and survived another year with our favorite music guiding us through every moment.